Advice for replacing my moms bamboo cutting boards *shudder*

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nwshull

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So... this Thanksgiving I've had it. These have got to go!

I'm tired of resharpening my reserve knives and her knives at her house because of god awful cutting boards. Full size wood cutting boards are out because of lack of maintenance and weight.

Question is, ideally is there something budget friendly that would let me buy a couple. A hasegawa brown is an attractive choice for one, but pricey,I'd ideally like to buy a few that way if its used or dirty people aren't reaching for those god damn bamboo ones, which if we get a few ideally I can toss!
 
if your mother is the type to not care about the type of cutting board she uses, shes also going to be the type to not care about the edge of the knife... actually sorry, there's no way I would know your mom better than you do.
 
Hasegawa, Asahi or hi- soft? Depand on the cutting style...
 
Yes Bernal set me off when I was already pissed.

coffeelover191919 said:
if your mother is the type to not care about the type of cutting board she uses, shes also going to be the type to not care about the edge of the knife... actually sorry, there's no way I would know your mom better than you do.
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Cares enough to mention they're dull but still uses them. I don't think that's actually that uncommon among people who have relatives who are knife people and can sharpen, but aren't knife people themselves. Either way whenever I do come back the damage is much more than I see in my normal wear and tear.

The question between poly and asahi I guess is what's the big differential performance wise.
 
I think the Hasegawa boards are stupidly overpriced for what they are. Just buy a standard commercial PE board. Those work fine and are cheap. And definitely easier on knife edges than bamboo or glass.
 
Michi said:
I think the Hasegawa boards are stupidly overpriced for what they are. Just buy a standard commercial PE board. Those work fine and are cheap. And definitely easier on knife edges than bamboo or glass.
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PE?
 
I'm not sure how many people share this preference, but personally I've always vastly preferred the PE boards that had rubber feet or something so they're not sliding all over the place. Yes, you can put a wet paper towel on them, and that's what I do too, but that means I'm wasting a paper towel every single time I use the damn thing!
 
Jovidah said:
I'm not sure how many people share this preference, but personally I've always vastly preferred the PE boards that had rubber feet or something so they're not sliding all over the place. Yes, you can put a wet paper towel on them, and that's what I do too, but that means I'm wasting a paper towel every single time I use the damn thing!
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Pro tip J, Put a damp towel under the board - it won't slip and when you're done prepping you have a damp towel to clean up with.
 
Yeah I know about the towel trick... I should really start doing that. Knowing myself the towel is likely to be dry again by the time I clean up... 😐
 
I snagged a rubber board off Amazon for under $30, but the ones available right now are a lot more expensive. It's a food service type brand so maybe if you have a restaurant supply store in your area you could pick one up for a decently inexpensive price.

I generally use shelf/drawer liner similar to this under the cutting board. I've had to wash them if I get stuff on them and they are subject to some deformation. Gives just a hint of cushion under the board. https://smile.amazon.com/Gorilla-Grip-Original-Non-Adhesive-Cabinets/dp/B07773PQG7/

Or sometimes, for really quick use with a tiny HDPE board I have, I use food service wipes, which I also use to wipe down the board and knife during use. When they get worn down use them for cleaning or whatever or just toss them. Like this or similar. Chix, CHI8230, Foodservice Towels, 12 1/4 x 21, 200/Carton, Sold As 1 Carton: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

If you want something a little nicer you could use a generic silicone baking mat (Silpat). Like https://smile.amazon.com/Zulay-Kitchen-Silicone-Baking-Sheet/dp/B083QQD9NJ/ or whatever is cheap.
 
Michi said:
I think the Hasegawa boards are stupidly overpriced for what they are. Just buy a standard commercial PE board. Those work fine and are cheap. And definitely easier on knife edges than bamboo or glass.
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Eh they work great. Cheaper than endgrain hardwood with better performance and lower maintenance (although nowhere close in looks). PE boards don't feel the same at all. SaniTuff is cheaper but much heavier. Sure it's expensive (and part of that is probably that it's imported), but this whole forum is predicated on overpriced stuff. Overkill for a mom cutting board though.
 
I don't know where do you live but beech trees are abundant in Europe so edge grain beech wood cutting boards are generally very affordable.
The lighter in color the better quality the wood is, generally like hinoki color wood but the fibers are denser and the wood is harder but gentle for the cutting edge.
Ikea has one model but in darker color. REF : 502.334.22 40x28x1.6 cm (inexpensive).
Knivesandtools has several models lighter in color : 60x37x2.5 cm is 39.5€ / 40x28x2.5 cm is 22.5€
 
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tally-ho said:
I don't know where do you live but beech trees are abundant in Europe so edge grain beech wood cutting boards are generally very affordable.
The lighter in color the better quality the wood is, generally like hinoki color wood but the fibers are denser and the wood is harder but gentle for the cutting edge.
Ikea has one model but in darker color. REF : 502.334.22 40x28x1.6 cm
Knivesandtools has several models lighter in color : 60x37x2.5 cm is 39.5€ / 40x28x2.5 cm is 22.5€
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That actually looks like a really good deal from Ikea. I'm gonna go buy one next time I pass by there.
 
I hope that it will be the same price as on ikea.com for you, in France its price is a tad higher 7.99€ instead of 4.99€. Still very affordable.
 
superworrier said:
Eh they work great. Cheaper than endgrain hardwood with better performance and lower maintenance (although nowhere close in looks). PE boards don't feel the same at all. SaniTuff is cheaper but much heavier. Sure it's expensive (and part of that is probably that it's imported), but this whole forum is predicated on overpriced stuff. Overkill for a mom cutting board though.
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I own a Hasegawa, but that doesn't mean that I would recommend it for the OP's mother, who by the sound of things is not exactly into knives.

The PE boards are a bit harder than a Hasegawa, sure. But they are an acceptable compromise, in my opinion. Cheap, easy to clean, durable, and reasonably friendly to knife edges.
 
I also think a PE Board would be your best bet. cheap, durable, easy to maintain. I use PE boards from Ikea for years and I can't say anyting bad about them.
 
I gave up on trying to tell my customers about the different grades of polymer boards. Epicurean's glue bonded chip boards are horrible and only exceeded in inappropriateness by a phenolic board I saw once.

Now I just tell them to get natural Polyethylene &/or Polypropylene boards & pads from their local hardware or kitchen store.

Most home users don't think about cutting boards and knives and how they use them. They come to me with chipped edges and wonder if the knives are "cheap." I try to indicate the difference between an axe and a razor blade, which is what a chef knife really is, regardless of what name you give it.

How do you explain to your family/users how to use a fine chef knife? Maybe I can come up with a better line.
 
There is also TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) cutting boards, generally thin so more a mat than a board. Said to be heat resistant, scratch resistant, food safe, won't absorb smells, flexible.
 
nwshull said:
So... this Thanksgiving I've had it. These have got to go!

I'm tired of resharpening my reserve knives and her knives at her house because of god awful cutting boards. Full size wood cutting boards are out because of lack of maintenance and weight.

Question is, ideally is there something budget friendly that would let me buy a couple. A hasegawa brown is an attractive choice for one, but pricey,I'd ideally like to buy a few that way if its used or dirty people aren't reaching for those god damn bamboo ones, which if we get a few ideally I can toss!
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My mom's a fan of cheap, bamboo cutting boards and poly—I've began sticking my Hasegawa in the suitcase when traveling, which adds extra protection for my knife roll. In a few weeks I'm traveling again, will be buying a bigger cutting board for my mom, planning on just going to Ross or TJ Max to get a big, cheap, wooden board—my mom is frugal, would experience much stress if I spent much over $50, which I gotta respect since it's her kitchen. I can deal with cheap boards in other people's kitchens, my knives are fairly robust—the TF denka enjoys the change, ...also travel with a stone to fix any chips.

But if you wanna splurge—BoardSmith or Hasegawa are the gifts that keep on giving.
 
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Do her a real favor with a Christmas gift of a set of 3 Polypropylene boards (about 3/8" thick) from Williams Sonoma for less than $35. Largest board is about 12 x 16 by memory.

Her edges will last longer and the small board makes for a great table board for cheese or whatever!

The W-S molded boards also have something I had not expected which enhances "easy slicing" of fibrous foods. The surface has little shallow indents (like a shot blasted surface), and that lets you actually cut items a little easier with a "not-so-sharp" edge.

Merry Christmas indeed, 3 boards for about a 1/3rd saving over your $50.
 
Michi said:
I think the Hasegawa boards are stupidly overpriced for what they are. Just buy a standard commercial PE board. Those work fine and are cheap. And definitely easier on knife edges than bamboo or glass.
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The yellow rubber version of Hasegawa board is super nice. I like it much more than my endgrain boards although hasegawa is a lot cheaper. The brown version of hasegawa is PE and may not be that distinct from regular PE so maybe a little overpriced, but it’s still nice. Most knives we buy are overpriced so I guess that’s the game. Pay 2x price for 20% improvement.
 
I've got a bunch of Teakhaus ProTeak boards in various sizes, highly recommended by America's Test Kitchen (ATK). Most of the time though, I'm using a small no-name PE cutting board when I'm prepping for one,,,,, sandwiches, slicing a single tomato or onion,, cheese, etc. Apparently, ATK also likes the Oxo-GoodGrips PE boards.

https://teakhaus.com/collections/traditional-collection
 
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